Apple working on extended life microchip

It has been reported that Apple is developing the technology to develop its devices' battery life to avoid user reliance on third party devices. The new technology would come in the form of a battery management chip which would considerably extend the battery life of a device.

A source has revealed that Apple has set up two design centres, one in California and one in Germany, with over 80 engineers working on the tech giant's new concept. However,don't get too excited, if they manage to successfully create the new chip it probably wouldn't be available until 2019. At which point, we are likely to see the release of the iPhone 9.

There would be significant implications if the new chip was successful. It would mean the end of Apple's long-standing relationship with Dialog Semiconductor which currently produces the chip infrastructure. The loss would be a huge blow to the company which makes a significant amount of its money from Apple.

It is part of an ongoing trend within Apple to move as much of the production as it can in-house. It has recently stopped using third parties to make its graphic processors – a clear indicator of the direction the firm is hoping to move in.

iPhones currently have one of the most compact batteries available on the market, much smaller than all major competitors. It has ruled out increasing the battery size as this would interfere with the sleek design with which the handsets have become synonymous.

Significantly improved battery life would be a massive coup for Apple: the longevity of a phone's juice is one of the most important features flaw for all smartphone users. If it manages to achieve this it could severely damage competitors. It is likely that many consumers would be prepared to switch to Apple if it could guarantee extended periods of life without needing to charge the device.